When separate, wisdom and knowledge are barren and unfruitful. When joined, they are infinite because they continue. Therefore, wisdom and knowledge cannot compete against each other because only together do they become complete and therefore are one (Glossary, Pg. 366).

Nothing in this world is more desirable than acquiring wisdom—understanding and putting knowledge to wise use. Zion will require the wisdom to use pure knowledge in meekness, humility, and charity (Glossary, Pg. 367).

Prudence, which is good judgment or common sense, is a companion to wisdom.

This is the quality of assessing things correctly and making a sound decision in light of the circumstances and persons involved. Prudent judgment is not hasty or unfair (Glossary, Pg. 367).   

What are the signs of wisdom?

• Understanding knowledge (the scriptures)
• Applying that knowledge (applying the scriptures)
• Being able to assess things correctly (according to the scriptures)
• Making sound decisions (in line with the scriptures)
• Judging slow and fair (according to the scriptures)

Likewise, the role of the woman in nurturing new life here is akin to the role of wisdom in eternity. Together, man and woman become whole, capable of creating and then nurturing a new creation (Glossary, Pg. 367).

Where else have we seen this ability described?

…something that is creative, renewing, and equally unrelenting. This force that renews life, introduces new energy, and forms new systems is God’s work—it is, in a word, love, or in the vernacular of the scriptures, it is charity.

Is love a driving force in wisdom? If so, is it possible for forgiveness, intercession, and relationships to be based in something other than love?

Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, a great interest and pleasure in something, and as a verb, it means to like or enjoy very much. That is the dictionary definition. Scripturally, love is charity. While charity varies from the dictionary definition of love, let’s entertain the idea here that charity at least overlaps with love as defined by the dictionary.

Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your might, mind, and strength, and in the name of Jesus Christ you shall serve him.

You shall feel an intense and deep affection for the Lord your God. You shall have great interest and pleasure in the Lord your God. And you shall do this with all your heart, and all your might, mind and strength. Which then will cause you to serve Him in the name of Jesus Christ.

What might this look like? Does feeling an intense and deep affection for the Lord include striving in every way to please, obey, and follow Him? Does having great interest and pleasure in the Lord include having great interest and pleasure in His words? It’s interesting that loving the Lord is followed up by saying that you will serve Him.

In the Glossary, it reads regarding hardness of heart:

 Hardness of heart is usually accompanied by a hardness of head; that is, people tend to not be willing to live in accordance with principles, even though they want to know about them. They are often more curious than they are obedient, becoming voyeurs rather than visionaries. Oddly enough, one’s curiosity gets satisfied as he obeys — but man is usually unwilling to make that exchange (cf. Alma 9:3,10; 1 Nephi 3:26). Man determines whether he has a hard heart or an open heart. Anciently, the “heart” was considered the seat of understanding rather than emotion; therefore, an “open heart” belonged to the seeker, the asker, the knocker on the door.

Taking action is part of loving the Lord, which also keeps your heart from hardening because you are continuously seeking greater understanding, light, and knowledge.

Continuing from the T&C:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. You shall not steal, neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it. You shall thank the Lord your God in all things. You shall offer a sacrifice unto the Lord your God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit (T&C 46:2).

Does the love that God commands you to have for Him vary from the love He commands you to have for your neighbor? Charity, or love, is a fixed determination to do something on the behalf of others. What does it mean to have a fixed determination to do something on the behalf of your neighbor? And what is the “doing” here? Is the love we must have for our neighbors the same as the love we are commanded to have for our enemies? Does this love include forgiveness and intercession? Can you forgive and intercede on another’s behalf without feeling or interest?

How does this scripture from the T&C compare to what Jesus taught in 3^rd Nephi?

The Law also says for you to love your neighbor, and lets you even hate your enemy. But now I say to you: Love your enemies also, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, so you may become the children of your Father who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Therefore everything ordained anciently under the Law of Moses has all been fulfilled through Me. Those prior things are over and I implement these new things. Therefore I want you to be perfect, just as I or your Father who is in heaven is perfect (CoC 3 Nephi 5:31).

Not only are you commanded to love your neighbor as yourself, but now you must love your enemies as well. In fulfilling the Law of Moses, Christ brings a higher law which highlights the unfathomable idea of loving those who are “justifiably undeserving.” The opposing forces being drawn in this scripture is love and hate. Hate is “intense or passionate dislike.” If the commandment to love my enemies does not allow me to hate my enemy any longer, does that mean I have to replace that feeling of intense dislike with intense affection? Is that even possible?

The mistreatment that Nephi received at the hands of his older brothers did not change whether or not he had charity towards his older brothers, even though he knew that (for the safety of his own wife, children, offspring, and compadres) he needed to separate from his brothers. Nephi only ever had charity for them (Glossary).

Did Nephi love his brothers? Yes. He would have been required to. No matter the fact that his brothers tried to kill him multiple times, I believe he felt the feeling of love that comes from being family. But that love was lacking because when it wasn’t reciprocated, he became angry. This perhaps would have driven him to seek charity from God which would have caused Nephi to see his brothers in the same way the Father sees them.

Nevertheless — despite the Lord’s great goodness in showing me His great and awe-inspiring works — my heart cries out: How wretched a man am I! Indeed, my heart mourns because of my human weakness. My soul is pained because of my shortcomings. I’m surrounded on all sides because of the temptations and sins that so easily trap me. When I want to be glad, I mourn over my sins. Nevertheless, I know whom I’ve trusted. God has supported me. He’s led me through my troubles in the wilderness and preserved me while crossing the deep waters. He’s filled me with so much of His love that it has completely overwhelmed me. He’s defeated my enemies, making them shake in front of me…

I believe Nephi is referring to his brothers as his enemies in this verse.

Then, if I’ve seen such great things, if the Lord — who descends from His high position to help mankind — if He has visited me with so much mercy, then why does my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, why does my body cower and my strength fail me because of my difficulties? 

Nephi is describing what he is feeling here. His heart is weeping, he’s incredibly sorrowful, his body cowers, and his strength is failing him. All because of his difficulties, which most certainly included his brothers. Would it be possible for Nephi to feel all of this if he did not love his brothers in the first place?

Why should I ever submit to temptations because of weaknesses? Why should I let any temptation by the Evil One have a place in my heart to cause me regret and trouble my soul? Why am I angry with myself because of my enemy? Wake up, my soul! Don’t focus on sin any longer! Rejoice, my heart; don’t give any attention to the enemy of my soul anymore. Don’t get angry because of my enemies. Don’t lose resolve to obey God because I face troubles. Rejoice, my heart; pray to the Lord, saying: O Lord, I’ll praise You forever. My soul will rejoice in You, my God and the rock of my salvation. O Lord, redeem my soul! Rescue me from my enemies! Make me shudder when sin appears! May the gates of hell always be shut in front of me because my heart is broken and my spirit contrite. O Lord, don’t shut the gates of Your righteousness in front of me, let me walk in Your pathway and stay on Your safe road. O Lord, cover me in the robe of Your righteousness, help me to escape from my enemies, clear the path in front of me! Don’t let any obstacle hinder me, but clear the way in front of me so I can go on safely, and hinder my enemy. O Lord, I’ve trusted in You and will trust in You forever. I won’t put my trust in the scholarly arrogance of man, because I know those who trust in arrogant fools are cursed.

Who are the arrogant fools? Those who don’t have wisdom. And those who don’t have wisdom also do not have charity or love.

Indeed, those who put their trust in the vain teachings of a man and trust them as if they were truth are cursed. Yes, I know God will give freely and abundantly to those who ask; yes, God will give to me if I don’t ask improperly. Therefore I’ll lift up my voice to You; yes, I’ll cry to You, my God, the rock of my righteousness. I’ll never stop calling out to You, my rock and my everlasting God. Amen (CoC 2 Nephi 3:8).

How could Nephi feel such continuous pain towards his brothers whom he called his enemies if he felt indifferent towards them?

I cried often to the Lord my God in prayer because of my brothers’ anger, but their anger against me grew to such an extent that they tried to kill me (CoC 2 Nephi 4:1).

Nephi’s relationship with his brothers was a tragedy and it served as an incredible opportunity for Nephi to develop charity.

Tragedy is an often overlooked driving force in life until you personally experience it. There is an incredible power bestowed upon those who forgive the perpetrator or the person to blame in the face of tragedy. It is not a small feat to extend such charity. I don’t believe that in seeing Christ triumphantly perform the atonement, die on the cross, and be resurrected, the Father shrugged His shoulders and thought to Himself, “What’s the big deal? He was commanded to do it anyways.”

When Mary realized it was Jesus, she embraced Him joyfully. She did not timidly reach out her hand, but she readily greeted Him with open arms, and He, in turn, embraced her. It is difficult to describe what I saw of the incident, apart from saying the Lord was triumphant, exultant, overjoyed at His return from the grave! She shared His joy. I was shown the scene and do not have words to adequately communicate how complete the feelings of joy and gratitude were which were felt by our Lord that morning. As dark and terrible were the sufferings through which He passed, the magnitude of which is impossible for man to put into words, these feelings of triumph were, on the other hand, of equal magnitude in their joy and gratitude. I do not think it possible for a mortal to feel a fullness of either. And, having felt some of what He shares with His witnesses, I know words are inadequate to capture His feelings on the morning of His resurrection. He had the deep satisfaction of having accomplished the most difficult assignment given by the Father, knowing it was a benefit to all of His Father’s children, and it had been done perfectly.

The concept of forgiveness bears witness to there being a God. Extending charity to a completely “undeserving” person is done through the grace of God. It is a gift to you and a gift to the receiver, because aren’t we all equally undeserving in the eyes of God? Forgiveness in the face of tragedies demonstrate incredible acts of valor in this ongoing war against our souls. Should we not feel deep satisfaction in each other keeping the commandments of God, especially during some of life’s most difficult times? Can we not share each other’s joy like Mary did? In God requiring you to perform a microscopic type of atonement towards the offender, He in turn applies the atonement not only to you (the victim), but to the offender as well. He requires so little and yet gives so much in return.

How foolish, vain, evil, and devilish are mankind; how quick to commit iniquity and slow to do good; how quick to follow the words of the Evil One and to set their hearts on the worthless things of the world; how quick to be prideful; how quick to brag and become evil; and how slow they are to remember the Lord who is God and to follow His counsel; indeed, how slow they are to let Wisdom guide them. They don’t allow the Lord who is God, who created them, to rule and reign over them. Despite His great goodness and His mercy toward them, they treat His advice as worthless and they refuse to let Him guide them. How insignificant are mankind; indeed, they’re even less than the dust of the earth. The dust of the earth obeys the everlasting God, responding to His command when told to move or divide. 

How they lack wisdom! How slow to do good and how quick they are to set their hearts on grudges, unforgiveness, and offense. How slow are they in remembering what the Lord offers them. How slow they are to let love and charity guide them. They view the scriptures as worthless and refuse to be guided by them. How they fail to realize they are less significant than the dust of the earth, because even the dust obeys God’s commands. And what did God command?

I give you a new commandment, That you love one another. Love each other as I have loved you. If you have love for each other it will be a sign that will identify you to all mankind as my followers (T&C 171).

Does any part of this love include emotion or feeling?

And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the residue of the people and he wept. And he beheld, and lo, the Heavens wept also, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains. And Enoch said unto the Heavens, How is it that you can weep, seeing you are holy and from all eternity to all eternity? And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, and millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of your creations. And your curtains are stretched out still, and you are there and your presence is there. And also you are just, you are merciful and kind for ever. You have taken Zion to your own bosom from all your creations. From all eternity to all eternity, naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of your throne, and mercy shall go before your face and have no end. How is it that you can weep? The Lord said unto Enoch, Behold these, your brethren, they are the workmanship of my own hands; and I gave unto them their intelligence, and in the Garden of Eden man had agency. And unto your brethren have I said, and also gave commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should serve me, their God. But behold, they are without affection and they hate their own blood (Genesis 4:16). 

Enoch is shocked that the Lord is weeping just like he wept. How can such a powerful, incomprehensible, almighty being weep on behalf of the people? In the Lord’s own words, instead of loving one another, the people were without affection (dictionary definition of the word love), and instead of serving God, they hated their own blood. If God, being who He is, can love all of his workmanship, who are we to assume that we don’t have to love our neighbor and our enemy in the way He loves us?

Now, my people, consider this: If you’ve experienced a change of heart and felt moved to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, Do you still feel that way? Have you been keeping yourselves innocent before God? If you were to die now, could you honestly say you’ve been humble enough, that your clothes have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ — who is coming to redeem His people from their sins? Are you stripped of pride? I tell you that if you’re not, then you aren’t prepared to come face to face with God. You must prepare now; because the kingdom of heaven is coming soon, and you won’t have eternal life. Again I ask you: Is there any one of you not stripped of jealousy? I tell you anyone who’s not, is not prepared and won’t be found innocent. And I urge you to prepare quickly, since the time is near; and we don’t know when the time arrives. I ask you again: Is there any one of you who mocks their brother or sister or who mistreats them? Woe to anyone like this, because they aren’t prepared; the time is short for them to repent or they can’t be saved. Indeed, woe to everyone who commits iniquity. Repent! Repent, because the Lord God requires it. He invites all mankind — the arms of mercy are extended toward them. He pleads: Repent, and I will receive you. He says: Come to Me and you’ll partake of the fruit of the tree of life; you’ll eat and drink freely of the bread and waters of life. Come to Me and do righteous works and you won’t be cut down and cast into the fire. The time is near when anyone who’s failed to produce good fruit or didn’t do righteous works will have good reason to weep and mourn (Alma 3:5-6).

What are some of the signs of a changed heart? You are stripped of pride and stripped of jealousy. You do not mock your brother or sister and do not mistreat them. You do not commit iniquity. You have come to the Lord to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. You do righteous works and thus produce good fruit.

“Change of heart” is directed toward the inner life. Our “hearts” are the center of feeling. It is the heart that inclines us to do good and to show love. The image of changing the heart suggests going from hard-heartedness to more charitable and kindly feelings. Alma is reminding his listeners how they were once altered by their conversion (Eighteen Verses).

Alma is taking feelings into account when talking about conversion – changing from hardness of heart to warmth of heart – and kindly feelings is part of that. Keep this in mind as we read about Christ.

The greater difficulty in these paired waves of torment was always overcoming the suffering of the victim. With these waves the Lord learned to overcome the victims’ resentments, to forgive, and to heal both body and spirit. This was more difficult than overcoming the struggles arising from the one who committed the evil. This is because the one doing evil knows he has done wrong and feels a natural regret when he sees himself aright. The victim, however, always feels it is their right to hold resentment, to judge their persecutor, and to withhold peace and love for their fellow men. The Lord was required to overcome both so that He could succor both… He experienced the suffering of their victims whose righteous anger and natural resentment and disappointment must also be shed, and forgiveness given, in order for them to find peace.

Forgiveness includes letting go of righteous anger, natural resentment and even disappointment. These are all justifiable feelings in the victim’s mind. But if you cannot even stand justified before God in feelings of disappointment toward another, then what can you feel after truly forgiving?

He overcame them all. He descended below them all. He comprehends it all. And He knows how to bring peace to them all. He knows how to love others whether they are the one who has given offense or the one who is a victim of the offense… There was no cruelty, no offense, no evil that mankind has suffered or will suffer that was not put upon Him… He knew the hearts of those who would kill Him. Before confronting their condemnation of Him in the flesh, He suffered their torment of mind when they recognized He was the Lord, and then found peace for what they would do by rejecting Him. In this extremity there was madness itself as He mirrored the evil which would destroy Him, and learned how to come to peace with the Father after killing the Son of God, and to love all those involved without restraint and without pretense even before they did these terrible deeds. His suffering, therefore, encompassed all that has happened, all that did happen, and all that would happen in the future.

What does it mean to love without restraint and without pretense? Was Nephi loving without restraint when he “freely” forgave his brothers? Christ here displayed love by forgiving His killers before they even killed Him. He found peace for what they were about to do before they even did it. That means that as He was nailed to the cross, Christ was already loving those involved in His death without restraint or pretense. What Christ accomplished is nearly unimaginable when I account for my own offenses and unforgiveness that I’m desperate to justify carrying.   

As a result of what the Lord suffered, there is no condition — physical, spiritual, or mental — that He does not fully understand. He knows how to teach, comfort, succor, and direct any who come to Him seeking forgiveness and peace… He can bring peace to any soul. He can help those who will come to Him love their fellow man (T&C 161).

When Joseph of Egypt reunited with his brothers, he was overcome.

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him, and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me! And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph. Does my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me here, for God did send me before you to preserve life… And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept. And Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover, he kissed all his brethren and wept upon them. And after that, his brethren talked with him (Genesis 11:42). 

This sounds like a man that loved his brothers to the point that he didn’t wish to hide from them, even though they had once contemplated murdering him and then sold him into slavery. He can’t refrain himself from revealing who he is and wishes them to be at peace in his presence so much so that he admonishes them to not be angry at themselves. He forgave them and is telling them they must forgive themselves as well. I cannot help but see the Lord’s atonement reflected in this passage. Not only is this charity and love in that sense, but also brotherly love demonstrated as an intense feeling of deep affection.

We believe it impossible for Nephi or Joseph to have loved their brothers because we cannot imagine ourselves doing so. These seemingly impossible standards were laid out by Christ and the Sermon on the Mount is what takes us from living a lower law like the Law of Moses to a higher law.

What is needed, however, is not just a change in perception, but a change of heart. You can’t change the heart without then changing the perception. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ set out standards which should transform a person. The standards there ask us to change from merely avoiding physically harming others, as was required in the Law of Moses, to loving them instead. He even asks you to love them when they despitefully use and abuse you. Apparently impossible standards are being asked of us by the Lord (The Second Comforter, Pg. 192).

All behavior before physically harming others, anger leading to violence, might be said to fall under the Law of Moses. Christ is commanding, as a higher law, that our behavior towards others exemplify His love. Part of coming to Christ and accepting His atonement is loving others even when they do not love you. Accept His love, which forgives, and then receive the power from Christ to love others, which entails forgiving.

God is so worthy a standard that, by comparison, we are unclean, unworthy, and are racked with regret. But that is exactly what Christ came to fix. We must come to Him to be repaired. As He fixes us, He tells us: ‘Set it aside. Set it aside, be my child, accept love.’ His love forgives. He gives you the power, in turn, to love others even when they don’t love you. What “fixes” you is God’s love. It is also what fixes others through you. Joseph explained: “A man is his own tormentor and his own condemnor. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone.” You inflict that upon yourself. The quickest way to acquire regrets in the next life is to be cowardly in this life. You only need to lack valiance in the testimony of Christ and you will be filled with remorse. Just be unwilling to stand up here. Valiance is required to secure God’s blessings. Cower now and be filled with regret in the next life (Preserving the Restoration, Pg. 17).

Joseph’s explanation that man is his own tormentor and condemnor hints at the concept that if you do not accept Christ’s atonement then you will be required to suffer for your own sins. So don’t be cowardly in loving your enemies. The man who forgives the drunk driver that killed his family, Nephi who prayed on behalf of his murderous brothers, and Joseph who fell upon his brother’s necks and wept, these are the valiant ones – which valiance is required to secure God’s blessings.